Birthdays:
1577 – The future Christian IV of Denmark and Norway is born in Fredriksborg Castle. He was the son of Frederick II and Sofie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. He would become King at age 11 and rule through regencies until 1596. Christian ruled until 1648, and is still the longest reigning Danish monarch at 59 years on the throne. He is known for instituting sweeping military and economic reforms. Despite some errors in judgment throughout his reign, he is still one of the most popular Kings in Danish history.

1866 – A daughter is born in Potsdam, Germany to the future Frederick III and Empress Victoria, who is christened Viktoria after her mother and grandmother. Her mother is Victoria, Princess Royal, eldest daughter of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. Young Vicky, as she was called, is also the younger sister of Wilhelm II, and was said to share some of her brother’s eccentricities, although she would be more British friendly than her brother. During World War I, despite being on the side of the Germans, she wrote to her first cousin, George V of Great Britain, saying she hoped they would all be friends again. George reportedly replied that it would be a long tine before that was possible.

Deaths:
1555 – Joanna, Queen of Castile and Aragon dies at age 75 after being confined to a convent for several years. She acceded to the throne of Castile after the death of her mother, Isabella. She would rule Castile alongside her husband, Phillip of the Habsburg family, and then alongside her father, Ferdinand and became known as ‘Juana la loca’. She would succeed her father as well at his death, but still not alone, as her son, Charles ruled alongside her, because of her alleged mental illness. She was the first woman to be Queen of both parts of Spain. Her son, Charles is better known as Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V. Her other son, Ferdinand would also be Holy Roman Emperors, and her daughters would be Queen consorts of Portugal, France, Denmark, and Hungary. Her younger sister was the jilted Catherine of Aragon, first wife of Henry VIII of England.